🗣️ It’s Friday; time for reader repl—WAIT, BREAKING NEWS:

This might not be a huge surprise.

Republicans were already souring on her, and prominent Democrats have been lining up to face her in November, with one candidate—state Sen. Zach Wahls—even besting her in a recent poll.

“Joni Ernst is retiring because she knows our campaign is on track to win,” Wahls said in a statement Friday.

Now let’s see which Republicans want to go for her seat. (US Rep. Ashley Hinson? Attorney General Brenna Bird?) Reply and tell me your guesses.

Iowa news briefs:

• Star is the top cat name in Iowa, according to a new survey. Not sure I buy it. If you are an Iowan with a cat named Star, write in (obviously with a photo!).

• Back-to-school costs rising: Parents are spending about $900 this school year, with 44% of parents saying they’ll have to take on debt to afford what their children need.

• More Iowa schools have adopted a four-day school week—27 districts have adopted the shortened schedule this year, up from 18 last year.
  
  

• Brain cancer benefit: Remember the story of Iowan Stephen Stepanek? His family is holding the third-annual Burger and Beer Benefit for Brain Cancer Sunday at 5 p.m. at Bass Farms in Mt. Vernon.

• President Donald Trump announced a plan to “get rid of mail-in ballots,” which is how about 30% of Americans and 680,000 Iowans voted in 2024. “This plan unveiled by President Trump is an attack on our most fundamental democratic right—the right to vote,” said Ryan Peterman, a Democrat running for Iowa secretary of state, who noted he voted by mail while serving in the Navy.

• Protect immigrants, protest the blockade: RSVP here for a 7:30 a.m. protective accompaniment on Tuesday.

🐶 This is Pax, celebrating with reader Keith L.

Happy birthday (belated), Pax!

Send me your pet photos here.

🌼 “My favorite hollyhocks,” says reader Renae B. of Storm Lake.

Send me your flower photos here.

Fans celebrate at the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium. (Scott Fiddelke/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Readers are invited to add to the conversation by emailing responses@iowastartingline.com. Please include your first name and last initial. You may also want to include your city, but that’s up to you. I may edit your content for conciseness or to correct typos.

Nitrate test strips:

• “Send me the strips, I will go out soon and use them in the field. Our work is never done.” — Matt M.

  (NOTE: I’m out of strips, but try the Izaak Walton League.)

Cancer in Iowa series:

• “An article regarding chemicals and garden hoses, FYI.” — Donna W.

Hard-to-pronounce towns:

• “I’ve also heard Buena Vista pronounced Bone-ah-vista. Another is What Cheer, often pronounced Watcher—a classic Midwesternization of standard English. Another is the hamlet Koszta, near Belle Plaine, pronounced Cause-tee.” — Joe A.
  

Those left out of the most charming Iowa squares list:

• “They left out Jefferson in the most charming town squares! I’ve only been there once, but was very impressed with the beauty of their downtown area!” — Mary A.

• “Washington has a town square to rival any of those listed. Unlike others listed, the square is not dominated by a huge courthouse. It is instead entirely a public space, crisscrossed by and shaded throughout by a canopy of tall shade trees. Near the center, instead of a fountain, there’s one of those giant Adirondack chairs, large enough to accommodate Jack’s giant, but instead attracts small children that run toward it and clamber up onto its seat, dwarfed by its immensity, grinning out at their grownups.

   

  In the southwest corner stands a stage where plays are performed, and between plays, a rectangular scamper space for children to run free. A box of chalks is available, so the stage is a concrete canvas for chalked hopscotch squares, scrawled names of all ages and colors, drawings made by ranging from children’s animals and stick figures to the artwork of teens. Best of all are those that extol the excitement and pride of a youth actors’ group that put on plays there. The square is surrounded by vintage brick buildings as well as a library (that rivals Iowa City’s!) and Dodici’s, an excellent Italian restaurant in a formal style that serves formal meals to informally dressed Midwesterners. 

   

  Washington’s square definitely should be added to the list.” — Joe A., Iowa City

• “The small town of West Union in Fayette County (pop. 2,490 in 2020) has an awesome town square! It’s seen many improvements in recent years, and is now used for many community events. Of course the center of attention is the courthouse, but the staging area is pretty cool too. If you ever get a chance to visit WU be sure to check it out!” — Judy D. (Judy included a photo, below)

Letter of the Week: Don’t forget those with dementia

“I have attended dementia groups. I have toured the Dementia Simulation House. I have partnered with Dementia Friendly Iowa. I have raised funds and created resources to help others.

And yet—after all of that—I’ve seen nothing new under the sun.

People like me in Iowa are still sitting alone in their homes. I spend most days on my front porch, staring at the sky. Nobody calls. Nobody visits. Nobody checks on my wife, Tammy, my primary caregiver. If this is happening to me, it’s happening to countless families across the state.

I see experts sitting in meetings, talking about making Iowa more ‘dementia-friendly.’ You create programs, guides, and booklets. But how many of you have actually reached out to a family living with dementia—directly?

When was the last time you said:
– ‘Do you need anything?’
– ‘Can I take your loved one out for coffee or to the golf course so you can have a break?’

For most, the answer is zero.

The burden always falls on the family or the person living with dementia to ask for help—even though you know many of us are no longer capable of doing so. People meet you at seminars and support groups, but then fade away because they never feel true, personal support.

Programs are meaningless if the people they’re designed for are still isolated. We don’t need more binders, committees, or slogans. We need love. We need kindness. We need someone to walk through the door and say, ‘We’re here for you.’

If Iowa truly wants to be dementia-friendly, start here:

1. Assign a real person to every diagnosed family to call and visit.
2. Build a volunteer network to take people out into the community.
3. Give caregivers genuine respite opportunities without making them beg.
4. Measure success not by programs created, but by isolation reduced.

Many of us will fade away—not just because of the disease, but because of the silence that surrounds us. You can change that. The question is—will you?“

— Kevin Dill

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